


it's simple

by goodtimings



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Donghyuck is talented, Fluff, High School, Idk what I’m doing, Like one year, M/M, Mark is mature, Swearing, VERY SLIGHTLY AGED UP, here it comes the reoccurring tag, idk if this is University au or just high school, markhyuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-29
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-01-25 11:42:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12530528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodtimings/pseuds/goodtimings
Summary: "Bro, no okaybrojust listen to me. It's simple."





	1. >_>

**Mark Lee, age 19.** _If Mark is loud then the world is quiet._  
**Lee Donghyuck, age 18.** _It doesn't matter, he's always loud._

 

Glancing at the grey sky, a dull Mark Lee sets his coffee cup down.

Hollow as ever, Mark embodies the literalness of exhaustion. The cause? Well, that's too vague of a question. Bustling city streets filled with busy people doing busy things. His dwindling budget filled with old ambitions and stupid books. The constant rise and fall of the sun as days pass before everyone's eyes. The constant rise and fall of his own chest that aches just a little more as the days go by. Yeah, those are a few.

"Mark, there's another history paper due tomorrow, does she think we're robots? Last time I checked the equation was  
Time = Success, am I wrong?" Johnny complains, the bustling soul with veins pumping probably too much caffeine by the word count he manages to speak over a minuscule of time. Well, if the positive giraffe boy himself was upset then clearly something's wrong.

Mark responds dismissively, "No, you're right about it." The history teacher really loved to put it on heavy around this time of the year. Just like he _really_ loves Johnny but can’t help that his head is elsewhere.

Mornings in the hall of college were always busy. People of all heights and appearances made their way through the sea of other humans. Mark had always found the white lino flooring out of place, what, with all the black skid marks of scuffed shoes and rushed students. He thinks grey would’ve suited it better.  
A girl with harshly cut, fluorescent pink hair, meets Johnny a little shocked before stumbling forward and continuing in the current. Mark smiles slightly, the visual thing often caught people's attention.

The second ruffle in the current of people is a boy with shiny, brown hair appearing overly coy as he struts up to Johnny.

" _Babe,_ there's still 8 minutes before class." He smiles unpurely, down-playing his age just a little.

Mark would gag if he'd made the effort to pay attention. It was simply Ten doing Ten things, and Ten things are never to be questioned.

"Yes, 8 minutes for me to complain to you about all my classes." Johnny grins cheesily, winking as if that's the sexiest idea he's got. Could be.

Ten's sultry reaction is enough for Mark to escape. "Hey, I'm gonna head to my locker and grab some stuff. See you second period." He bids goodbye, although the couple hardly react besides a nod.

 

 

"The equation itself, is not as difficult as it appears. By adding the exponent to- Hello student." The teacher explains before interrupting himself. Half the kids jostle and turn their heads to glance at the angel pausing their lesson, while the others continue drooling on their text books.

"Sorry I'm late, here's my pass." The boy speaks clearly and formally, rushing to the nearest seat - beside Mark.

Ah, Lee Donghyuck. Purple hair and a pretty face. Some say he escaped from one of Nakamoto Yuta's mangas. Likely.

"Oh shit, Hey, Mark Lee, can I borrow a pen?" The younger questions after successfully patting his body even where there isn't a pocket. Choir lead and drama club ace, Lee Donghyuck.

Mark nods, mutely handing over a plain blue pen and returning his focus to the lesson.

This is the first and only class he's shared with Lee Donghyuck, and yet his knowledge of the boy is extended enough for him to write a couple of essays.

Being friends with only social butterflies meant knowing half the campus without _really knowing_ them. For example, Mark knows the junior Park Jisung raps in his free time and once fell in the fish pond because junior #2 Zhong Chenle pushed him. Oddly, the two were best friends.

He also knows that Jung Jaehyun is _absolutely_ friends with benefits with Lee Taeyong, the Classified: Hottest guy on the campus - albeit Yuta likes to pretend that's not true.  
Upon the news, Yuta had complained about how unfair it is that handsome people date other pretty people because what about the average people?? Do they not get any glory??? ( _"If you're_ sympathising _with these 'average people', do you mean yourself?" Mark had quipped, cracking a smile at the defensive rant Yuta proceeded to ramble for the next 10 minutes._ )

( _There's nothing wrong with being an 'average person' Yuta. Everyone's pretty special in their own way._ )

  
And when it comes to Lee Donghyuck the facts were a lot more.. factual. 

Drama club ace, 9/10 times cast as the lead in school plays. Never shuts up and is stupidly prideful about that - amongst other things. Just has to open his mouth and ridiculously good singing comes out. The definition of a studious student as well as the phrase, "Jack of all trades." Even if Mark wishes to finish the saying - _"Master of none."_ It wouldn't be true. Donghyuck really is the master of all trades and it's ridiculous. There's also the fact that he literally has his own fan club.

"Thanks for the pen." Donghyuck smiles brightly at the end of class. His short figure allows Mark to tower over him slightly as he collects up his books silently. Such a small interaction, Mark barely remembers it by the evening and yet the next day it's all he hears.

Johnny has _got_ to have some form of spy on him at all times.

 

  
The next day begins abruptly, with Mark waking up to the buzzing of his phone.

  1.  Mark purposely turned off the vibration for his alarm.
  2. Which meant he had to be receiving a call.



7 calls at that. 6 missed, thanks to Mark's great ability to sleep through a storm.

"So, Donghyuck huh?" The emotive tone of Seo Youngho (aka Johnny), snickers through the phone. It's 9am, day 3 of the week and _too god damn early_ for someone who's an hour late for class as it is.

Yeah, maybe turning off the alarm vibration wasn't good.

Mark curses, "I'll call you later," before hanging up despite Johnny's complaints and promises to wash his mouth with soap.  
He doesn't have time to consider the context as he throws on the same clothes as yesterday and rushes down the now-empty halls with ruffled hair.

 

"Mark Lee, take your seat." The teacher orders, taking the late pass and returning to the lesson. Calculus. With Donghyuck.

There is an odd sense of awareness of the others' existence. With the rush of getting changed and sprinting to school (A few metres from the dorms anyway.) Mark had yet to think about the call with Johnny. Until now, of course.

Now, where the usually darkish purple hair seems to be highlighted. Mark's always had a radar but now it seemed to pick up _"Short boy with sunkissed skin and purple hair."_ Ridiculous. He physically shakes his head as if to rid the thoughts.

  
What was Johnny even talking about with his sappy, _"So, Donghyuck huh?"_ Mark can easily picture the older boy wiggling his eyebrows and enjoys the idea of flicking them. Johnny can't have seriously known about the most minor experience with another human that Mark has ever had. Sure, Johnny tends to know _everything_ that's turning in the rumor mill, but Mark and Donghyuck don't belong there. It's not lIke any light blushes were passed around or shy smiles under lowered gazes. Nothing happened besides the asking of a pen and the receiving of a pen. Mark can't be missing anything, like, okay, Yes Yuta likes to call him daft bu-

 _"I think Mark knows."_ Is the only thing to pull him out of his thoughts. Rudely.  
The class diverts there stares from Donghyuck to Mark so quickly he feels caught in a horror film.

It takes a moment for the words to register in his brain before it all clicks. Donghyuck had thrown him under the bus for a question he didn't hear and probably wouldn't know anyway. The boy had the nerve to mouth the answer while the teacher's tapping grew quicker and louder.

"It's simple..?" Mark responds, although it comes out more as a question and he's reminded how bad of a lip-reader he is. To the right of him, Donghyuck facepalms and the teacher huffs, writing his name on the board for detention.

 

_**Is it simple? Really bro?????** _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello i’m back even tho there’s lit a week until exams for me ??? anyWHO
> 
> originally this was a bin fic as in i was gonna turf it but you can probably tell this was also originally Taeil POV!! i changed it from tl and dy to markhyuck bc i missed my smol ship. please leave some comments if you like the concept <3!


	2. complex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am so sorry this took so long

_“It’s simple??_ Dude, what the heck were you thinking?”

Mark takes a piteous bite from his apple allowing his shoulders to shrug moodily. His eyes refuse to meet Renjun’s disapproving glance, focusing rather on the posture of the younger with his faded black Vans smudging dark marks on the plastic classroom floors. He sits on a chair backwards to Mark’s left, chewing obnoxiously on a muesli bar. 

 

 **Huang Renjun. 18.**  
Art club ace and keyboardist in the school band, also known as an avid red-hairist (it’s a thing) and ridiculously in love with his boyfriend Lee Jeno.

 

“I wasn’t. My brain was busy struggling after being late and then Donghyuck just had to throw that at me like I’m some kind of genius!” Mark explains, hands waving slightly to accent his frustrations. The drops of sweat making their way down his forehead aren’t ignored, neither is the hoarseness of his voice that could do with gulping 10 glasses of water. It just had to be summer, the one time in all his years as a student that he gets a detention.

Renjun raises an eyebrow as if he’d said something obvious, which it must’ve been if Renjun was pointing it out. “It’s not like you’re dumb though, you’re in the top English class.” 

  1. “I lived in America for literally 12 years before moving here.”
  2. Like that was a good enough excuse for Donghyuck’s actions.



The relentless sun shines brightly through the windows as if a reminder of Mark’s own idiocy, or rather, bad luck. Years of pretending like he was invisible so much that everyone else began believing it too, and who knew it could all crumble because of Lee Donghyuck. 

“But you like him, _right?”_ Renjun questions as if he’d just implied to Mark the most obvious thing on earth. Mark takes a deep breath as if that could keep his emotions at bay while Renjun flinches at the reaction.

 _“No???_ Dude, oh my _god,_ this is the **first class** I’ve ever had  with him. That was the _first time_ we  spoke?? It wasn’t _life-changing,_ sparks didn’t magically appear when he touched my hand for a millisecond while he took **_my pen???_** Why do people keep thinking that ** _???”_**    ~~a/n: i had too much with with the editing here~~

Renjun’s eyes grow big like he’s been scolded when he clearly thinks he’s still in the right. His lips curve up to form a smirk within seconds of the phoney expression. “Because you two are the most predictable, compatible people ever and it took those few, insignificant interactions for us to see.”

Mark bites back a grumble, glaring at the red head as if that would solve everything. If only Mark could just return to his dorm tonight and wake up in a world where everyone continued to ignore his existence.

He blinks away the thought and turns to meet Renjun’s eyes square on. The younger appears to challenge him, oddly, and for a second Mark completely forgets that Renjun is Donghyuck’s best friend. He releases the gaze with a sigh. 

 

 

There are two things Mark will never understand. How Johnny can fit a whole apple in his mouth - without choking, and why the weather is allowed to change from burning hot to flood-warningly wet over the course of an hour. It’s just not fair.

Although Renjun is quick to jump in his boyfriend's car the moment they’re released from the deathly-boring building that is college - Mark is a lot more hesitant. Jeno winds the window down handsomely to offer a ride, but after weighing his options out Mark figures he’d rather suffer getting the flu for a week than be stuck in a car with those two.

It’s not like they were the worst couple to be around, that cake is taken by Yuta and Sicheng but very close behind sits Taeyong and Jaehyun. Well, the order changes every week that Mark’s forced to sit through a lunch with Johnny’s friends. 

After being given the role of guardian to Mark by his parents, Johnny refuses to allow his ‘baby bro’ to sit alone when all his friends have club activities on Thursdays. Honestly, Mark doesn’t mind being an obedient ‘baby bro’ once a week anyway but Johnny does take his role as a guardian ridiculously seriously. The seniors seem to think sitting alone as a junior is the worst thing that could happen - or maybe that’s just the seniors he hangs around with.

From the concrete patch Mark claims suitable for sitting on, his eyes glaze over while attempting to focus on all the rain drops falling at once. Although his bum is admittedly going numb, he’s yet to regret his decision to wait around a bit for the sky to stop crying. The rain can be nice, he concludes thoughtfully. 

Of course, that is preferably when Mark is inside wearing fluffy pyjamas and drinking hot chocolate, but even in his dull school blazer under the veranda he’s able to appreciate the simplicity of the moment. It’s not a time to be thinking about anything specific, but somehow Mark begins writing out Donghyuck’s name in the concrete with his finger. 

The situation reminds Mark of the idea’s that come with dreams. He can easily recall the crushes formed merely from his dreams, nights of shut-eye where his brain was busy playing match-maker, creating scenes of vast fields with blue bunnies and soft hugs, stargazing under waterfalls and calm, soft moments. Like a dream-based crush, so suddenly the existence of Donghyuck stands out as if he were the moon amongst the stars. The boy appears like the weather, except it’s Mark’s personal atmosphere and Donghyuck is the rain clouds looming darkly above as of recent. It confuses the heck out of Mark and being realistic it’s been only 2 days which makes it worse. It makes it feel semi-permanent and yet all so overwhelmingly real in the moment. 

There is no real end to them quite yet, only a beginning and nothing else more - much like the incomplete songs on Mark’s old MacBook garage band. Brushing off his bum, Mark tugs on his hood despite it being cotton and absolutely not waterproof and sprints away as a bad excuse to distance himself from the name invisibly drawn on the concrete. The sky that was already overcast is beginning to darken and soon his roommate, Jaemin, will worry (probably).

The rain that had appeared to fade to a drizzle seems to kick it up a notch _just as he runs out._  Mark’s mumbled swearing and the sound of heavy rain seems to be the only thing occurring for miles - although he’s only about 3 meters from the patch on the ground that he’d sat. His sprinting is interrupted by the falling droplets ceasing completely as a large dark grey umbrella is placed above his head. It’s a similar grey to the dark clouds but the muted sound of rain bouncing off of plastic obviously makes it an umbrella.

Firm hands grip the base of the umbrella followed by loud puffing from the owner, _“Mark, you’re not supposed to be able to run faster than me if I’m on the track team and you aren’t.”_ Soft at the edges and light like the sweetest cotton candy, Donghyuck’s voice teases with ease. When Mark meets his eyes he’s shocked by the proximity of their faces and more so by the flecks of grey dotting the younger boys’ warm brown eyes.

“I’m wearing contacts you noob, close your mouth you’ll catch flies.” Donghyuck winks to break the spell. Snapping his mouth shut Mark diverts his eyes quickly, the heat in his cheeks rising so fast that all he wishes to do is shrivel up into a ball. Donghyuck appears to notice this but if Mark was expecting any sympathy or help, he was wrong. The younger boy proceeds to rest his arm around Mark’s shoulder, pulling the older - and taller, boys’ head down to his shoulder.

They weren’t a couple. Mark has just noticed his existence properly about 48 hours ago. And yet _THIS WAS HAPPENIGN_

“Come on, I’ll walk you home.” The younger grins like his actions are normal and everything he’s doing is simple curtesy. It’s not. It just makes Mark want to hide in his comforter for a week and never return to the real world.

_(hey siri, SEND HELP.)_

 

—

 

The day had been long. Now that exam period began, all of his senior friends were too busy studying to eat lunch with him on Thursdays. Johnny had flicked him a text almost every day, but Mark hated to admit he had actually missed the boys’ presence nervously floating around with Ten attached to his side. 

Now he had Donghyuck to keep him company - which felt nice to say even if it isn’t fully true, considering the only reason they eat together is probably that the drama club only met after school because they were all social butterflies. Mark had been spending copious amounts of hours talking and studying with the boy and finds himself sparking an interest in the Drama club.

Donghyuck had greeted the idea with cheering and bright, supportive grins - which were convincing especially as a balm to Mark’s bashful and shy blush, refusing to maintain eye contact, however, his friend Chenle had sat quietly outside the club room. Mark had been meeting Donghyuck every day after his musicals’ practice since their friendship and it didn’t go unnoticed by anyone. 

 _“It’s not as easy as it looks, that’s all I’m saying.”_ The lulling and yet condescending tone of Chenle resonates throughout Mark’s bedroom that evening. The boy had tagged along that particular night, even if Mark just wanted to shut out the world and eat Jajangmyun with his roommate Jaemin and Donghyuck. He was somewhat anticipating the mess Donghyuck would make on his study books and the Star Wars movie that Jaemin would make them watch for the nth time instead of actually studying. 

Mark runs over the words quickly coming up with nothing to respond. Chenle obviously reads that faster than Mark himself, not that the loud banging in the kitchen is helping at all. Mark did not take it to be easy, neither did he appreciate the lack of support. Everyone has to start somewhere, but he’s argued with Chenle before and the usually bright boy clearly knows his way around words after joining the Debate Club.

And Donghyuck. Stupid Donghyuck and his “simple”, convincing Mark as if he was 8ft tall and bulletproof. Stupid Donghyuck and his inability to hide his emotions, the loud clang of plates banging together being a clear giveaway that the boy had heard everything and was very displeased.

Things weren’t always simple.

The soft click of the door shutting with a measured tug is the only response to Mark’s whispered words, “I will try.” Unheard and too late. Chenle was young, Mark would do better if he remembered this, maybe he’d take the words more with a grain of salt if they weren’t implying such truth.

 

 

The thing about Donghyuck’s ‘simple’ is that it was never condescending - only on the occasion where the boy was being a moody teen purposely. His words had always brought calmness to Mark as if he were the warmth of sunshine after too many consecutive bad days. He had successfully made Mark, an anxious and worrisome soul, remember the simplicity of life in many ways. 

“It’s. simple. Maths.” Donghyuck huffs from Mark’s bed. More than the math problem itself, it makes little sense to Mark that he - owner of bed, is sprawled out on the floor while Donghyuck snuggles comfortably into his deep blue sheets. The idiot had flung his arms as if to imitate a swimmer upon their first studying session and now here they are, day 16 of their friendship and day 19 into exam preparation. _(Mark needs to wash his comforter soon but he’ll never admit that he kinda likes the smell of cologne that Donghyuck leaves.)_

Tilting his head to look up at Donghyuck, Mark allows himself to take in the familiar smile rested upon the younger’s face like a peaceful puppy, and the boyish look in his eyes that naturally shine. Even if winter is coming soon, Mark thinks he’d just have to look into Donghyuck’s eyes to feel warm. The brown of his eyes reminds Mark of chocolate, soft and deep brown sweaters, the scent of coffee, a colour that is not often loved - for all that Mark loves it. 

“You look like you’ve bitten into a lemon but I didn’t even do anything this time. _Bro._ ” Donghyuck comments playfully, but his words are soft and their eyes are still connected as if magnified to each other. Mark knows that isn’t what he looks like, but for all the younger boy likes simple, he sure loves never having to worry about the things beneath the surface.

What Mark doesn’t know is that Donghyuck had earlier been staring into his eyes deeply, taking in the features of the older boy, _stealing_ glances as if he had no right to pull apart something so beautiful for himself.

Everything about Donghyuck was simple and laid out where everything about Mark sat tangled and tied to each other. One was easy to pick apart and study while the other required too much commitment for the average human. Since Donghyuck, Mark had been able to finally disconnect parts of himself and simplify even the hardest situations. 

“Hyuck, can I tell you something?” It’s now Donghyuck’s turn to tilt his head confusedly. Mark takes a deep breath, mumbling the words, “It’s simple.” just like the comforting tone Donghyuck would.

“I think I might have a _crush..?”_ For all the thoughts Mark thinks per minute, those words were not the ones he had prepared. He takes a shy peep of Donghyuck’s face, somewhat bashful but with a slight pinch in his brows. Thinking, making up a way to lighten the atmosphere, it’s all so visible in his expression.

 _“On you.”_ Out of hope, Mark whispers the words mostly for his own ears, but Donghyuck perks at it. His eyes are wide in shock, pointing to himself like an idiot and yet so adorably that Mark’s heart stutters and a soft smile spreads on his face (alongside a blush). 

“M-Me?” Although he’s buried his smile beneath his hands, Mark can still see Donghyuck shining brightly as he shuffles along the floor to peels away the younger’s fingers from shielding his beautiful face. Replacing them with his own hands, Mark cups Donghyuck’s face as if the boy were fragile.

 **“You.”** Mark’s words are honest and tender, more than he’d imagined an 19 year old boy could put into his voice and Donghyuck is grinning now, so shamelessly and so full of joy.

 _“God,_ the rumors finally started circulating and it worked out for once, Mark I literally tried so hard to get your attention without actually throwing myself to the seat next to you, Renjun was right when he said you were oblivious.” The words seem to break their way out of Donghyuck’s plump lips, spewing out without a filter and Mark can’t help but splutter followed by a long string of laughter.

Disbelief and something like love mixes into Mark’s tone, “Hyuck, did you have to make it so _complicated?”_ Because out of all people to make it that complex of a confession, it was the person who’d been flaunting the simplicity lifestyle since day 1.

Donghyuck’s giggles seem to lighten the room all at once and Mark has come to the conclusion that he will never get sick of that sound.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI EXAMS ARE OVER but i got sick :( i had no energy to do anything but i'm baCK and it's christmas holidays so i hope to update things; once i get back into the swing. This was a long-ish part 2 after a long wait and i'm sorry for making chenle meanjsfhjf i don't rlly like this but it's my own fault for not planning things out properly smh but yes
> 
> i love chenle
> 
> and i love markhyuck
> 
> keep me updated on ur thoughts in the comments or on my cc curiouscat.me/kdy_ !!!  
> love u all and thank u for reading whatever this is! ♥️


End file.
